Nozzle for suction cleaner



y 5, 1950 E. o. NORRIS 2,516,246

NOZZLE FOR SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INIEN'I'OR.

,ITTOR NE Y July 25, 1950 E. o. NoRRls NOZZLE FOR sucnon CLEANER 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14, 1945 R m m w WM "0 n w 4 C AORNEY ABRASIVEMATE/F/AL 0R FELT 27 Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICENOZZLE FOR SUCTION CLEANER Edward 0. Norris'l' westport, Conn.Application December 14, 1945, Serial No. 635,049

2 Claims.

This invention relates to nozzles for suction cleaners or the like, andmore particularly to a nozzle for a suction scrubber which is adapted todry the surface after the scrubbing operation.

An object of the invention is to provide a nozzle of the foregoing typehaving a novel and improved blade construction and mounting whichenables the blade to conform to the contour of the surface to becleaned.

Another object is to provide a nozzle which is suited to removesubstantially all of the liquid from a surface.

Another object is to provide a self-sealing dripproof nozzle for suctionscrubbers of the above type.

Still another object is to provide a cleaning or scrubbing appliance ofthe above type having novel and improved details of construction andfeatures of operation.

,Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature ofthe invention is more fully disclosed. a

The suction nozzle disclosed herein for the purpose of illustrating theinvention comprises a housing forming a chamber having an elongatedsuction opening. A floating resilient blade extends centrally throughthe nozzle chamber and projects through the opening therein to engagethe surface to be scrubbed. The blade contains a number of transverseholes which convey fluid through the blade and also increase thetransverse resiliency of the blade.

The sides of the resilient blade are provided with longitudinalshoulders shaped to seat on the housing to seal the opening and also tolimit the outward movement of the blade, and resilient means such assprings engage the upper edge of the blade to hold the blade in itssealed position. The; projecting portion of the blade'is narrower thanthe opening through which it projects, hence it will shift freely fromside to side in said opening to permit fluid to pass either face of theblade as the nozzle slides back and forth over the surface which isbeing cleaned. When the nozzle is raised off the floor, the blade willautomatically seal the opening to prevent any liquid which may betrapped inside from dripping back out the floor.

In the embodiment illustrated herein, the nozzle is mounted on wheels asa part of a scrubbing machine which is adapted to be moved over thefloor in the manner of a vacuum cleaner. These wheels have shieldscontaining orifices which open on the peripheral rims of the wheels andcommunicate with the chamber insidexthe nozzle, so that, when saidchamber is under suction during the drying phase of the scrubbingoperation, the suction will dry the rims of the wheels and preventunsightly streaking of the Although the novel features which arecharacteristic of this invention are set forth more in detail in theclaims appended hereto, the nature and scope of the invention may bebetter understood by referring to the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, inwhich a specific embodiment has beenset forth for purposes ofillustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a suction cleane having a nozzle embodyingthe present invention; J Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation of thenozzle;

Fig. 3 is a broken side elevation of the floating resilient blademember;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the nozzle, showing the same inoperative'position on the floor;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the nozzle; Fig. '7 is a partial longitudinalsectional view thereof taken on the line 'l--l of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse section, similar to Fig. 5, showing the positionof the blade when the nozzl is lifted from the floor. I

In the following description certain specific terms are used forconvenience in referring to the various details of the invention. These'terms,

however, are to be interpreted as broadly as the state of the art willpermit.

In thedrawi'ngs, Fig. '1' shows a suction nozzle I having a flared bodyportion 2 embodied in a portable floor scrubbing machine of the typedisclosed in application Serial No. 647, filed February 15,1946. Thescrubbing machine proper, which forms no part of the present invention,includes a suction device 3 and a handle 4 containing a flex-'- Thehandle 4 of the machine carries a pivoted control lever 1 actuating aBowden wire 8 which controls the operation of the suction device'3.

For an understanding of the present invention,"

it is sufiicient to say that in one position of the lever 'l' cleaningliquid from conduit 5 is delivered to the flared body'p'ortion' Zof thenozzle',-'while? in another position of said lever, the suction device 3creates an air suction which draws liquid upwardly through the nozzlefor drying the surface and discharges the liquid through conduit 6 to adrain.

In the embodiment illustrated, the nozzle l comprises a rear wall Ill(Fig. integral with the flared body portion 2, a front plate [2 securedto the ,wall In by screws l3, and end plates M (Fig. 7) The end platesMcarry stub shafts l5 supporting wheels 16 by means of which the devicemay be wheeled across the floor or other surface to be cleaned andmaintained in proper spaced relation therewith.

The nozzle contains a chamber IT and is formed at the bottom withlongitudinal lips H having an elongated opening 8 therebetween for thepassage of fluid between the chamberv l1 and the surface to be cleaned.A passage [9 isformed in the rear side wall in for conveying fluid toand from saidchamber H. The edges of the lips H defining the opening i8are preferably thin and sharp to prevent the accumulation of dust anddirt thereon and are shaped to form seats for the blade to be described.

"The chamber -I'l' 'contains a floating rectangular blade'28 ofresilient material such as'rubber, which 1 extends centrally throughsaid chamber. The blade 28 has a longitudinally spaced series ofcircular transverse holes '2! and is provided with slits 22 extending--from said holes to the top of the blade to increase-its transverseresiliency. I

The resilient blade 29 is formed-with longitudinal shoulders 23 on bothsides thereof, which are shaped to engage the lips ii to seal theopening 18 of the nozzle and also to limit the outwardm'ovement of thefloating blade. Coil springs- 2 1 are mounted in the chamber I! betweenthe top of said chamber and the top of the blade 21!, contacting theportions of thetop surface of the blade between the transverse slits 22!In the embodiment illustrated the springs 24: are positioned inholes 25in the'front plate l2 of the nozzle. The springs resiliently urged theblade 20 to .itslimiting position with the shoulders '23-seatedonzthelips -H to seal the chamber H. The upper 'part of the chamber I1 is of asize to receive and confine the blade, but-to permit free slidingmovement thereof in response to the pressure of the springs 24 and thevpressureof the floorwhich forces the blade upwardly 'against theractionof the springs.

The blade 20 projects outwardly through the opening' tbsandhas a Llowerresilient scraping surface 26 which is adapted to engagethe surfaee tobe cleaned. Theblade .20 1 is slightly narrower than the opening 18and-thus provides a space for the passageoft -fluid on one side .or theother .of lthe blade. as 1 the blade slides backand forth over thesurface whichis'lbeing =cleaned. linithe embodiment illustrated, aninsert 21 of abrasive material such as pressed mopper wool, other metalwools, or .thedike, which has desir able cleaning properties extendsalong the entire length of the bottom 260i the blade. Othercleaning-substances, such as rubber impregnated with pumice, or a softmaterial, such as felt, may

belused.

The nozzle may carry curved shields 28 having orifices which open on theperipheral rims of the wheels .l5, and having ducts which connectsaid-orifices to thechamber 1-1 for remov ing rfluid fromntherimsutosaid chamber upon the application of suction thereto.

In the operation of this device the blade 20 is retracted by contactwith the floor to provide a fluid passage to the chamber I! as indicatedin Fig. 4. The hand lever 1 may be first actuated to supply liquid suchas soapy water from the conduit 5 to the nozzle and thence through thechamber l1 and around the blade 20 to the floor, or the floor may be wetin other ways. The nozzle and bladeare then pushed back and forth overthe floor to scrub the same. The copper wool 27 assists in thisscrubbing action.

At the end of the scrubbing operation, the hand lever 1 is actuated tostart the suction device 3 and apply suction to the nozzle. The blade 29scraping along the surface causes the wate to pile up at its leadingside around the opening between the blade and the lip H and the suctiondraws this water into the chamber H and through the opening 19 into thebody 2 for discharge through the conduit 6 as more fully described in mycopending application above mentioned.

When the nozzle is being moved to the left as viewed in'Fig. 4, theblade is flexed to the right and the suction opening is on the side ofthe blade nearest the opening 19. Hence the liquid passes directly intothe chamber i1 and through the opening 19. Whenthe nozzle is moved tothe right, the blade 20 is flexed to the left leaving the suctionopening on the outside of the blade. The liquid then flows into theright side of the chamber ll, thence through the holes 21 in the bladeto the opening 19.

-It will be evident that when moved in either direction, the bladecauses the liquid to pile up at the suctionopening and to be removed bythe suction of the device from the floor.

The holes 21 and slots ZZcause the blade to have sufficient flexibilityto conform to -an uneven floor surface so as to facilitate the scrubbingoperation even when the surface is other than plane.

Anywater which is carried around on the rims of the wheels I6 is removedby the ducts 30 so that the wheels remain substantially dry.

When the nozzle is lifted from the floor, the springs 24 cause the bladeto seat on the lips H and seal the chamber 11 so as to prevent any waterremaining in the chamber I! from dripping back onto the floor.

It will be apparent from the above that the nozzle construction issuited to commercial use in floor scrubbers although it may also beapplicable to vacuum cleaners operating without liquid provided thedimensions are made suitable for the purpose.

Although a specific embodiment has been shown and described for purposesof illustration, it will be evident to thoseskilled in the art that theinvention is capable of various modifications and adaptations within thescope of the appended claims. I V

Whatis claimed is:

1. In a suction cleaner or the like, a nozzle comprising 'a casinghaving bottom and top walls forming a suction chamber and having anelongated suction opening in said bottom wall and an elongated groove insaid top wall extending upwardly'from said suction chamber andregistering with said suction opening, a flexible blade having an upperportion mounted in said groove to slide vertically therein, said bladeextending downwardly through said suction chamber with its lower endprojecting downwardly through said suction opening to engage the surfaceto be 5 cleaned, said blade having longitudinal shoulders engageablewith said bottom wall on opposite sides of said suction opening to sealsaid opening and to limit the outward movement of said blade, and springmeans in said groove bearing against the top of said blade forresiliently urging said blade to its limiting sealed position, theprojecting end of said blade being narrower than said suction openingand adapted to fiex to leave a suction passage on one side or the otherof said blade in response to the passage of the nozzle back and forthover a surface, said upper portion being restrained by said groove tocause the blade to return to central position in said suction openingdue to its resilience.

2. A nozzle as set forth in claim 1 in which said blade divides saidsuction chamber into two parts extending respectively along oppositesides of said blade to communicate with the passages formed on bothsides of said blade as it flexes,

said casing being provided with a suction port communicating with one ofsaid parts, and said blade being provided with a row of transverse holesto establish communication between said parts.

EDWARD (J. NORRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 403,566 Underwood May 21, 1889493,084 Dillon Nov. 2, 1897 953,267 Hefiner Mar. 29, 1910 1,013,606MacLean Jan. 2, 1912 1,145,555 Clements July 6, 1915 1,238,903 FisherSept. 4, 1917 1,874,758 Ketchledge Aug. 30, 1932 1,888,570 Rice Nov. 22,1932 2,064,903 Ghignatti Dec. 22, 1936 2,146,763 Replogle Feb. 14, 19392,218,595 Yutzler Oct. 22, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date433,467 Great Britain 1935

